Rucas Week One Shots
by imaginarybird
Summary: My seven one shots from Rucas Appreciation Week over on Tumblr. Rating for sensitive content on day three, otherwise things are tame. Complete.
1. Rucas Studying Together

So these are seven unrelated oneshots I wrote for RucasWeek over on tumblr. They all stand alone. This first one is to answer the prompt: Rucas studying together.

* * *

"I'm gonna fail."

"You're not gonna fail."

"I got a three on the last practice exam."

"Which isn't failing."

"It's not good enough either."

Lucas looks over to his girlfriend. It's only a week until their AP European History Exam and everyone's stressing about it, no one more so than Riley. He's not exactly sure why—outside of Farkle no one else's grades are consistently high like hers are—but something about the test has her panicked. Her eyes are bloodshot with dark circles forming beneath them, she's been mainlining energy drinks to get through study sessions and he knows she probably wouldn't be eating much of anything if it weren't for him and Maya putting food into her hands. She'd shown up to their planned study session in her cupcake pajamas; he wouldn't think much of it if they were working at one of their apartments, but on the couch in the middle of Topanga's, it's definitely out of place. At the rate she's going, Lucas isn't sure that she'll even make it to the test.

 _Something_ is going to have to change.

He closes the practice book he's working from and reaches over to close hers as well. The wide-eyed look she sends his way almost makes him regret the choice.

"What are you doing?"

"We're taking a study break." He says firmly. "You're not going to take anything in when you're so worried."

Riley goes for the books, but he maneuvers them out of her reach. Her eyes narrow. "Lucas, the test is in seven days, four of which we still have to go to other classes. We don't have time for a study break."

"I only want thirty minutes."

She stares him down. "Ten."

"Twenty-five."

"Fifteen."

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty. Final offer."

"Deal." Lucas grins. That trick would never have worked if Riley were actually on top of her game but he's not going to feel bad for taking advantage. He's only trying to help. "Now come here." He slings an arm around her shoulder to pull her close, and with his other hand reaches down to her bag on the floor. Sitting on top, Lucas can just see a hairbrush with a few elastics wrapped around the handle. He grabs it. "Riley, you've been acing this class all year. The only reason you're missing things now is because you're stressing yourself out. What has you so worried?" Lucas pulls her hair down from it's place in a messy bun and starts to work the brush through.

"This exam isn't just for a grade." Riley says. "Colleges are going to look at this. If we don't do well, they'll–,"

"Look at the grades we got for the rest of the year and realize that not everyone does well on standardized tests like that." Lucas cuts her off. "No school going to reject you solely on your knowledge of the French Revolution."

"They might."

He leans down to murmur her response directly in her ear. "They _won't_."

Riley pulls away. "They might when they realize the daughter of a history teacher can't even keep the Peace of Augsberg and the Peace of Westphalia straight."

There's the actual problem, Lucas quickly realizes. Riley, not for the first time, is worried about letting her parents down. The idea that she's not living up to their example or their expectations for her is the one insecurity that she's never really been able to shake over the years, even though he's never seen any indication from Mr. and Mrs. Matthews that they feel anything close to that about their daughter. Obviously as the date of the exam has gotten closer, Riley's been working herself up with visions of failing and disappointing her dad and things had snowballed from there.

He stops brushing her hair and gently turns her so they're facing each other. "OK. First of all, I know you know the difference between those two because you're the one who taught me how to remember which is which. Augsberg starts with A so it–,"

"Comes first and _authorizes_ Lutheranism." Riley finishes the memory trick she had given him several months ago. "Westphalia _weakens_ the HRE and ends the 30 Years _War_ ."

"See? That's one question you have down. Second, no one is going to be holding you to any different standards when they're grading the tests. They won't even know which one's yours."

"That doesn't mean I won't fail."

"I have total confidence that you won't," Lucas begins, "but even if you did, what's the worst that could happen? You'll still get an A in the class, because this won't change our grades. At most, you won't get college credit, so you'll have to take a history class your freshman year. You were probably gonna do that anyway."

"But my dad–,"

"Has only ever been upset about your grades when he knows you didn't try. Everyone knows you've been studying for this, Riles. And you're more prepared than you think. You're just freezing up."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

"You'll unfreeze if you relax a little. Try this." He turns her away again and instructs her to close her eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths while he goes back to brushing her hair. When Lucas feels some of the tension start to leave her, he speaks again in a slow, hushed voice.

"Keep your eyes closed. I want you to forget all about the exam and school. Forget about the city. Right now none of those things exist, because right now it's just you and me. We're at the lake where you go camping with your grandparents. The water's perfectly still. It's a warm, sunny day and everything is quiet except for a few songbirds." He switches from brushing her hair to braiding it. "Are you there?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Now tell me about absolute monarchs and twentieth-century dictators and the ways that they gain and maintain power." He reads off a practice question and continues to braid while Riley recites a near-perfect answer. It takes her a couple of minutes, but she doesn't stumble once. He ties off the braid. "See? You took a moment to breathe and you did great."

Riley sighs and leans back against his chest. "Yeah. It's too bad they won't let you do my hair during the test. Then I'd be sure to ace it."

"How about we both get there twenty minutes early and I'll do it then?"

"You'd give up your last minute cramming time for me?"

"Riles, if I don't know it by then, I'm not gonna know it. This helps both of us relax."

Riley tilts her head back, smiling up at him. "Best boyfriend ever." She stretches up and plants a quick kiss on his lips.


	2. Rucas in High School

Day Two: Rucas in High School.

* * *

Riley and Lucas start officially dating on the first day of freshman year. Other than Maya, Farkle, and Zay, nobody actually realizes until homecoming of sophomore year. It's not that they're intentionally keeping it a secret, they just don't feel the need to change their public behavior. They know how they feel, and after the mess of rumors and speculation that they dealt with in middle school and how much trouble that seemed to make for _everyone_ they have no real interest in doing anything that would feed the flames of that gossip mill. It's just as much about keeping their own privacy.

So they're very respectful of the school's rules on PDA. They don't stop being affectionate with each other, but they also don't ramp things up or stop being affectionate with the rest of their friends. They don't really talk about their relationship when they're on campus. They go on dates and hang out at one another's apartments but those are meant to be between them and them alone (and occasionally their friends and parents because they are _nosy_ ).

The only real difference that anyone can point to between the way they acted in middle school and the way they act in high school is that Lucas occasionally call each other by nicknames.

That is until Lucas gets named to the homecoming court. The sophomore girl that joins him is Missy Bradford and to fulfill his obligation he makes polite conversation and dances with her. It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the song, which is one that he and Riley have unofficially claimed as theirs. He can't help searching the crowd for her during the dance, and hates that he finds her leaning on Zay with half a smile on her face while their friend tries to distract her. The moment the song ends, he abandons Missy and pushes through her classmates so he can place the cheap plastic crown on top of her head and pull her into a kiss.

"Sorry I couldn't share that with you, Honey Lamb. But it wasn't anything special without you."

Riley's smile grows to something brighter. "I love you too, Galahad." They kiss again.

Yogi and Darby are dancing nearby and they stop still in their places. "Wait…so are you guys together now?"

"We've been together." Lucas shrugs. He glances over just in time to watch Yogi's jaw drop.

"For how long?"

"A little over a year."

Riley and Lucas are surprised when Yogi reaches into his pocket, pulls out some money and hands it over to Darby. They're even more surprised when the exchanges of money seem to spread throughout the rest of the gymnasium, including the upperclassmen and even a few of the teachers.

"I know we did that Farkle bet once," Lucas says, leaning down to Riley's ear, "but this is weird, right?"

She nods. "Definitely."

They spend the rest of the night answering the same questions over and over for everyone. How long have they been together, how did they get together, and why were they keeping it a secret. Nobody quite believes that they weren't no matter what explanation they give.

They don't realize until the end of the school year that many of the people who lost the bet work on the yearbook when they are voted 'Sneakiest Couple', but at that point they are feeling so solid and comfortable with each other that they can laugh off the little dig.

Riley and Lucas officially dated for over a year before the rest of the school found out. They continue to date long after.


	3. Lucas explains his past in Texas

Day Three: Lucas telling Riley the whole story about what got him kicked out of school in Texas.

Notes: This strays a little from the prompt but I think it fits. It takes place directly after Girl Meets Secret of Life. There is discussion of bullying, and non-graphic discussion of suicide, if those are topics that trigger you.

* * *

Riley only hesitates for a moment before she knocks on the door of Lucas' bedroom. His mother had let her in, but had informed her that he's been in quite a mood for the past few days so she shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't want to see her.

Riley knows all about the mood. Lucas has been struggling ever since the arrival of his old friend, Zay; he clearly hadn't been ready for everyone to know about his past and it had thrown him off. Riley isn't thrilled to learn that he's been keeping secrets but at the end of the day feels worse that he felt he had to, and even worse that she went on to pressure him to talk and punish him for it. So when, even after things in the group seem to return to the way they were before, Lucas still rushes to leave, she knows that she has to do something to offer her own apology.

She takes half an hour after school to gather a few things and then goes to his place. Where she's now starting to worry a little, because he's not answering to her knock. She raps her knuckles across the surface a second time.  
"I'm studying, mom. Can this wait?"

Riley cringes at the tension in Lucas' voice. He sounds so tired. Why had she made this mess all about her when it was so obvious he was hurting too? She does her best to swallow down her guilt. "It's not your mom, Lucas." She calls through the door. "It's me. Riley."

The door swings open a few seconds later. Lucas doesn't smile when he sees her. "What are you doing here, Riley?"

"You've had a rough couple of days." She rocks on her heels to keep herself from leaving. It's fair that he's mad at her; they've been friends for over a year and he practically had to beg for her to put her trust in him. Riley had prioritized her own hurt feelings and fears over their relationship and she knows it will probably take some time for them to get back to where they were, if that's even possible. "I thought you could use a friend."

Lucas sighs, but he does step to the side to let her in. "I don't really feel like talking."

"You don't have to." Riley holds up her tote bag to show him while she walks into the room. "When I was little, whenever I had a really bad day, my dad would take me to the candy store. We'd pick a color, buy every type of candy that comes in that shade, and go home and watch movies while we made ourselves sick on the sugar. I thought we could do that."

A trace of a smile crosses his face. "Really?"

"Yeah." Riley grins and digs through the tote. "I brought Princess Bride, School of Rock, and Remember the Titans, but it's your choice so if you don't like any of those we can find something on Netflix." Lucas's room doesn't have a bay window that they can sit in to watch, but he has a couple of structured bean bag chairs and after she puts the DVD boxes with his laptop, Riley drops the tote to the floor and starts to push them together.

Lucas starts to help with the chairs. "And you really don't want me to talk about Texas?"

He sounds so skeptical that Riley stops. "I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you about that. I was hurt that you didn't tell me, but it's your business and you get to decide who you trust with it and when. You told me that you're worth it, and that's good enough for me."

"Thanks." Lucas grabs her hand, weaving his fingers between hers. "It means a lot that you still believe in me."

Riley's not sure what to say to that, so they stand in silence for several moments, staring at each other. When Riley realizes that they're still holding hands, she nearly jumps but just manages to stop herself, giggling nervously instead as she pulls away. "So you should pick a movie." She brushes her hair behind her ear as she spins around to grab her tote and get the candy. "I went and got the candy before I came. Normally the person who had the bad day gets to pick the color, but I wanted to surprise you so I didn't call to ask. And I realized when I was at the store that you've never actually told me your favorite color, so I went with blue. I figured since you wear it so often that at the very least you don't hate it."

She pulls her bag from the candy store out—a large cellophane one filled to the very top with every single type of blue candy she could find, and a few that were simply wrapped in blue—and spins again to find that Lucas is staring, all traces of his smile gone.

"What's wrong?" He doesn't answer. "Lucas?" Nothing. "Don't tell me you're allergic to Blue Dye number 73 or something." The nervous joke at least seems to get his attention and he shakes his head.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"To pick blue."

"Like I said," she shrugs, suddenly just as nervous as she had been before knocking on his door, "you wear a lot of it. I thought that meant you liked it."

Lucas visibly deflates when he sighs, and he falls heavily down onto one of the beanbag chairs. "I wear a lot of blue because…because my sister told me that she always thought I looked good in it."

Riley sits in the other chair. "You never said you have a sister."

"Had." Lucas corrects quietly. He pulls his phone from his pocket and starts tapping at the screen while he speaks. "Jessica Friar. Jess. She was two years older than me."

Riley's not entirely sure what to say or how to offer her condolences. She doesn't want to ask questions, even though she has _so_ many, and come across as pushy and ruin their truce. She's just barely forming a thought when Lucas holds his phone out showing her picture. It's a beautiful blonde girl leaning over the shoulder of a younger Lucas, her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. They're both sharing the same broad smiles and the same sparkling eyes. "She looks like she was really nice."

"She was." Lucas nods, taking the phone back. "She killed herself three years ago."

Oh God. Riley's heart, already aching for him for the loss of his sibling seems to snap at the revelation. She can't imagine the pain the Friar family must have gone through.

"She had problems at school. Bullies. A group of girls decided they didn't like her and instead of just not spending time with her they ruined her life. Called her every name they could think of, started ugly rumors…they turned the whole school against her." Lucas says, staring at his lap. "Jess couldn't handle it. She came home from school one day…told me that I looked good in blue and that I–," He breaks off, and Riley hesitates, but reaches out and puts her hand on his. "That I was the best brother she could have asked for. Then she went upstairs. My mom went to get her for dinner and found her on the bathroom floor. It was too late for anyone to do anything."

He starts to brush tears away from his eyes, and Riley doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him. She doesn't blink when she feels his shoulders start to shake, and doesn't make any comments. Saying that she's sorry won't make anything better. Riley knows that.

So much makes sense now. His reaction to Farkle's bully. His protectiveness over all of them. His secrecy. Riley can only imagine the stories that must have followed him in Texas as the boy whose sister killed herself. And to add on the reputation that Zay had alluded to…It had to be such a relief to be able to start with a blank slate somewhere that the idea of sharing his past and risking the loss of it all would have been terrifying.

Lucas pulls away abruptly, wiping at his face. "I started getting into a lot of fights after that. When I got kicked out of school, my parents sent me to one of those programs for troubled kids. And then we moved here."

"That must have been really hard." Riley's not sure if she's talking about what Lucas went through, or sharing it, and chooses to let him decide. "I get why you don't like to talk about it."

"I should though. Jess was amazing and she deserves to be remembered but we act like she never existed now. None of the people who are important to me here even know about her."

"I know now." Riley grabs his hand again. "And Zay knows. And if you want to tell Maya and Farkle or anyone else, I know they'll listen. But even if you don't, you can still come to me. You're right that she deserves to be remembered, and I'll remember her with you if you want me to."

He cracks a watery smile and squeezes her hand. "Jess would've really liked you, Riley."

"I wish I could have met her."

A long beat passes and Lucas surprises her when he pulls her a little closer, so she's practically leaning against him. "Thank you for coming over. I thought that I wanted to be alone but…I needed this."

Riley rests her head on his shoulder. "I'll always be here when you need me, Lucas."


	4. Lucas having his moment

Day Four: Lucas having his moment.

* * *

"So it's nearly 8:00." Farkle announces, glancing at his watch. "We probably have time to do one more thing before the kick-off dance. What's it gonna be?"

The high school throws an annual fund-raising carnival at the end-of-the summer to kick start the project graduation bank, and as rising freshmen the gang has spent most of the day enjoying the games and rides. They had a fierce bumper car battle, several water gun races (where they eventually got shooed away when it devolved into a water fight) and many trips on the tilt-a-whirl and other sickness machines (as Smackle and Riley referred to them). Between Lucas, Maya and Farkle they've knocked five separate teachers into the dunk tank. It's been a good day and they still have a dance to go to.

"Ferris wheel." Riley says quickly.

Maya chimes in not even a second later. "Food."

"The Ferris wheel is the best part of any fair and we haven't done it yet." Riley protests. She's been waiting patiently for it all day, because she knows that while it may be her favorite part, most of the group prefers things that are a bit more thrilling. It wasn't that big of a deal to put it off because she was having fun and she likes going at sunset because the view seems so much prettier, but she definitely wants to go.

"And we've been walking around this fair all day and the only thing I've eaten since breakfast is cotton candy and half a deep-fried Oreo." Maya counters.

Zay nods. "If I don't get some real food in me, the only sweet move I'll be sharing on the dance floor is passing out from low blood sugar."

"Well, we can split up." Lucas suggests, diplomatically. "Who wants to go get something to eat?" Maya, Zay, Smackle, and Farkle all raise their hands. "Ferris Wheel?" Riley is the only one to show interest.

She sighs, and doesn't keep her face from showing her disappointment, even though she knows it's not very nice of her. "Fine, let's go get food."

"Well, you can if you want to, but I was gonna stay and check out the view with you." Lucas turns to the rest of the group. "We'll meet you guys at the dance."

* * *

Riley hadn't expected to be riding the Ferris Wheel alone with Lucas, but it's not nearly as awkward as she was anticipating. They're having a nice enough time, chatting about the coming year and how they think high school will be different. Lucas confesses that he's a bit worried about maintaining his grades with a more serious athletic program and Riley reminds him that if he ever gets lost with something all he has to do is ask, while she admits that she's worried her dad is somehow going to be their teacher again and Lucas asks if that would really be such a bad thing.

Then the Ferris Wheel stops just as their car is rounding over the top. Not the gentle pull of the brakes that happen when the operator is filling or emptying another car, but a screeching, car-shaking halt that throws them both against the safety bar. Lucas instinctively puts his arm out in front of Riley, pushing her back in the seat almost as quickly.

Riley turns to him, eyes wide. "What was that?"

Lucas cranes his neck to try and see, but the position of their car leaves his view of the control box almost entirely blocked. "They probably just need to oil the brakes or something."

It's not an entirely convincing explanation, particularly when the ride operator makes an announcement over a megaphone not even seconds later. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're currently experiencing some minor technical difficulties with our power supply. It should only take a few minutes to fix the issue, so if you could all just remain calm and in your seats, the ride will resume shortly."

"I'll text Farkle and let them know we'll be a few minutes late." Lucas pulls out his phone.

While he does that, Riley takes the opportunity to look around. As she had hoped, the view of the city is spectacular from atop the wheel in the twilight hours. However she quickly realizes exactly how high up they are now that they're not moving, a fact that is only emphasized by the car rocking in the breeze. Rocking and creaking. Riley's heart, still on edge from their sudden stop, thuds in her chest.

Lucas must notice because after he slips his phone back into his pocket, he puts a hand on top of hers where she's white-knuckling the safety bar. "You OK?"

"Yeah." She does her best to smile. "I just didn't realize that I only like heights when I know I can leave them."

"Nothing's gonna happen."

"I know." She nods, knowing that she sounds almost entirely unconvinced. "I'd just prefer if nothing happened while we were moving."

Lucas squeezes her hand and restarts their earlier conversation. It's enough of a distraction that Riley leans back in her seat while they talk, but not so much that she doesn't realize when a few minutes turns into fifteen, or when the fifteen slips into 45. Judging from how often Lucas keeps checking the time as they talk, he's noticed.

She's going to make a comment, but the operator with the megaphone gets there first. "Folks, we apologize for the delay. The repairs are a little more complicated than we anticipated and we don't think we'll be able to complete them anytime soon." There are a lot of groans at this, from both the riders trapped on the wheel and from the growing crowd below. "While I want to stress that there is no danger posed to anyone, we have contacted the fire department so that everyone can get back on the ground safely. It'll take some time for them to get their equipment here, but once they do it should only take about an hour for them to get everyone down."

More groans and grumbles combine with a murmur of excitement from the crowd.

Lucas, who had leaned forward at the start of the announcement, sighs and falls back, rocking the car. "There goes the rest of our night. I guess I'd better let Farkle know to cancel the–…" He drops off suddenly, and focuses intently on the text he's composing.

"Have Farkle cancel the what?" Riley asks, looking over.

"Nothing." Lucas shifts in his seat. Riley keeps looking. "There's just no way we'll make it to the kick-off dance now."

"I'm pretty sure it was just going to be someone's iPod plugged into a speaker so we're not missing much." Riley says. Then she realizes two things. The first is that normally _she'd_ be the one worried about missing the dance while Lucas assured her that it's no big deal. The second is that Farkle had absolutely nothing to do with organizing it. "What does Farkle need to cancel?"

"It's nothing." He repeats.

Judging from the resignation in his tone, it's not nothing. The mystery is enough to make Riley forget all about the fact that they're going to be stuck for over an hour longer. "You can't cancel nothing."

"I just…had something planned." Lucas admits after a moment. "Farkle was helping me make it happen."

"Oh…Well, I'm sure you'll be able to do it another time. And I'm sorry I got you stuck up here."

"You didn't–,"

"Lucas, I'm the only one who wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel." She cuts him off. "The only reason you stayed is because you didn't want to leave me alone."

"I stayed because I wanted to." He corrects. "I like spending time with you, Riley. It sucks that we got stuck, but plans change. There'll be other moments."

The phrase sticks out in Riley's mind, lingering past the persistent warm butterflies that rise up whenever Lucas smiles at her the way he is now, or says something sweet. _There'll be other moments._ Once upon a time, Riley had had dreams and fantasies of the moment Lucas had said he would have. The moment he had said he would have with her. It was easily the most romantic thing she had ever heard, surpassing even her favorite romantic movies (because with this she didn't have to pretend it was being said to her).

That said, she had made herself stop picturing what his moment might look like around the time of last years semi-formal. And even now when she's come to realize that you're meant to take risks with the sorts of feelings that she has, Riley has resigned herself to the fact that the time for the moment, and likely any chance with Lucas, has long passed. They'd all gotten confused and made a mess of things last year, nobody more so than her. They've cleared things up for the most part, but things are different.

"It's too bad though." Lucas continues, jerking Riley back to reality. "It was going to be perfect."

"It was?" Riley practically squeaks, and she turns away so he won't see her cheeks turn red. She doesn't even know why she's asking; she doesn't want to know about these sorts of plans if they're for some other girl, and if by some miracle they're for her, he's not going to tell her anything.

Lucas chuckles softly. "Yeah. I had everything figured out. The timing, where it was gonna happen, what I was gonna say…" It's all so vague that Riley's not sure if she should be hopeful or heartbroken. "You know, I even picked a song for us to dance to from my Riley playli–," He drops off and his head snaps in her direction, eyes wide. "I mean, I…"

Us. His Riley playlist.

Hopeful it is.

A voice in her head that sounds an awful lot like Maya tells her to keep him talking. "Tell me about it?"

"What? The playlist?"

Riley shakes her head. "The plan."

"Really?" When she nods, Lucas rubs his hands over the tops of his legs. "Well, uh, when we were at the dance, I was gonna pull you aside at some point to talk. And if it went well, I was gonna signal Farkle to hijack the sound system and play the song. Then I'd ask you to dance."

Hopeful, hopeful, hopeful.

"What were we going to talk about?"

"I wanted to tell you that I know we got confused last year, and we all agreed to take some time to get our heads on straight again." Lucas starts after a moment's hesitation. "Then I'd say that I'm not confused now. That the only thing that ever confused me about how I feel for you was when you told me that we weren't going to happen. I'd say that the only reason I didn't try to talk to you after New Years was because you so obviously weren't ready for anyone to know and that wasn't fair to you. And I'd tell you that the reason I agreed to the break instead of just kissing you at graduation was because I knew you wanted me to be sure about what happened with Maya and I didn't want you to doubt for a second that I was."

Hopeful, hopeful, hopeful, hopeful, hopeful.

"Then I wanted to tell you that I spent so much of the summer wishing that things were different between us. I want to be able to hold your hand when we're at the movies. I want you to show me all of your favorite parts of the city and tell me why they're special to you. I want to be able to hold you close and tell you how much you mean to me every day."

Lucas pauses and Riley uses the opportunity to remind herself to breathe and to swallow the ball of happy tears building in her throat.

"And if you hadn't shot me down by then, that's when I'd signal Farkle to get the song. I'd tell you that I don't want to keep wasting time thinking about being together when we could just _be_ together, and I'd ask if you were still waiting for my moment."

Riley bites her lip. "And if I said I was…?"

"If you said yes, I'd ask you to dance, and tell you that this looks like a perfect moment to me."

Riley vows to herself then and there that she's never riding a Ferris Wheel again. The view may be nice, but they're nothing but trouble. If she had just gone along with everyone else to get pizza or whatever, she'd be dancing with Lucas right now (possibly kissing him) and enjoying the start of something that she's wanted for ages. But she just had to ride the Ferris Wheel and now she's stuck—still with Lucas—but instead of enjoying the start of their relationship she's being tortured by what-might-have-beens. Riley has no idea how to turn the conversation from a hypothetical to a reality.

"What was the song?" She might as well torture herself all the way.

Lucas pulls out his phone again, and after a moment's searching, music starts to play. The rest of the noise from the street fair seems to fade away as she listens. In the moment, it's just them, sitting next to each other and listening. Riley pictures what would have happened if she hadn't insisted on the ride. They would be in each other's arms, swaying underneath the twinkle lights strung over the dance floor. Lucas would be holding her close and the only reason she wouldn't have her head on his shoulder would be because they were too busy staring into each other's eyes. The would-have-happened is beautiful.

"Riley?" Lucas turns toward her as much as he can in the cramped seat.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna owe you a dance, but…this looks like a perfect moment to me."

Riley's last rational thought before Lucas kisses her is that maybe riding Ferris Wheel's isn't so bad after all.

* * *

It's closer to an hour and a half later that the fire department finally gets everyone down from the broken attraction. The gang is waiting for them in the crowd and Zay is shaking his head. "We can't even leave the two of you alone for five minutes without you getting into trouble, can we?"

Lucas fires off a sarcastic response while Farkle's eyes dart between him and Riley, taking in their hand-holding and perpetual grins. He smiles and nods toward his friend. "I'm guessing things worked out OK?"

"They did."

"Congrats."

Maya grabs Riley and pulls her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Sweets." When she pulls away she smirks at Lucas. "So Huckleberry, what's this I hear about you having a Riley playlist?"

"How do you know about…Farkle!"


	5. Rucas in Paris

Day Five: Rucas in Paris.

* * *

The trip to Paris was pretty much supposed to be the highlight of Riley's high school career. It was primarily for French students, but anyone could go if they could get through a conversation with Madame Leveque, so after some intense study sessions to bring Maya and Zay up to a passable level of comprehension, everyone in the gang was approved to go. It was meant to be essentially a walking tour of the city, where they would visit the bulk of the major landmarks (with day trips to Versailles and Euro Disney) and there were going to be a few time periods towards the end of the trip where they would be allowed to split up from the group and go do whatever they wanted.

Riley had been particularly excited for that. The moment that portion of the trip had been announced at one of the prep meetings, Lucas had turned to her and asked her to go to dinner. Dates with Lucas were always fun and often romantic and she couldn't imagine what one in Paris would be like.

So Riley had put a lot of thought into prepping for the trip. She had saved up her money for nearly a year, had requested trip related items for Christmas and her Birthday, and done as much research she could do on the itinerary. She arrived in Paris with the rest of the class ready to take in the city and have the time of her life.

Then on the first day, as she stepped onto the boat for the river tour of the city, Riley had stumbled and sprained her ankle.

Since then, she's been in pain, lumbering around on crutches struggling to keep up with the group, and sweating through all of her cute clothes (nobody told her how athletic you had to be to use crutches!). She's trying to stay positive, because most kids her age don't get to go on such an amazing trip, and they don't get to do it with their best friends and their boyfriend, but staying positive is draining when so much seems to be going wrong. Some of the places they've been going have only been partially accessible (Lucas had to carry her to the top of the Arc de Triomphe) and Madame Leveque keeps trying to insist that she stay in the hotel and rest.

Riley has heard the horror stories of staying behind and taking care of your ankle injury on a class trip and she is going to have no part of _that,_ thank you very much.

She wins most of the battles and joins the group every day, but Madame Leveque is adamant that she's not going to let an injured student wander the city alone for the period of promised free-time. It doesn't seem to matter what argument Riley puts forward about her own responsibility or the fairness of denying only her the unchaperoned time, Madame Leveque insists that she can either accompany Riley and her friends to whatever their plans are or Riley can stay in the hotel. Well that's not going to happen. She's not going on a _date_ chaperoned by her French Teacher.

Lucas doesn't much like the idea either and he goes into his own negotiations with Leveque. After giving her a detailed itinerary, agreeing to take cabs or the metro instead of walking, and promising to check in from each location, he wins them the right to go out on their own.

That evening, Lucas brings her to the Eiffel Tower. Where he has reservations for dinner. Riley's not sure when he had time to plan it but she's not complaining; the Tower had been another stop on the first day of the trip and thus had been one that she missed while seeing a doctor. Now she not only gets to see the tower, she gets to do something far more memorable than taking a few pictures from the top and visiting the gift shop. It more than makes up for the horrible first day.

"This is amazing." She comments after their server removes the plates from the starter course. "I can't believe you went to all this trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble."

"Really?" Riley shifts her glance around the room, taking in the opulent décor, the stunning view, all of the diners in beautiful, _formal_ attire. This wasn't something that her boyfriend could possibly have just thrown together. If nothing else it was expensive, and he had to plan on bringing the nice clothes. "It _looks_ like it was at least a bit of trouble."

"Well…maybe a little." Lucas admits, ducking his eyes down briefly. "But nothing ever really feels like trouble when I'm doing it for you."

"Aww…" She schools her face to be a bit more serious. "I was going to say that this is definitely our best date ever, but I think I'm gonna have to knock off a few points for the cheese factor you just added."

"You're kidding."

She can't stay serious long at all. The smile cracks back through before he even finishes speaking. "Of course I am. Have you _met_ me?" She gets half out of her seat to lean across the table and quickly kiss him. "I love everything about this, Lucas. Thank you."

"We started thinking about this back in the seventh grade. Six years later, I knew I had to do something special."

"Everything's special when it's with you."

"Now who's being cheesy?" Lucas teases. Riley sticks her tongue out, and he laughs. "But seriously, I wanted to make tonight special for you. I know I've said this to you before, but if it weren't for you I don't think I would have made it through the move to New York. I know I wouldn't be the guy I am today if I hadn't met you. I can't even begin to thank you for that."

For a moment Riley feels like a middle-schooler again. Lucas is looking at her so earnestly, with such warmth and tenderness that she almost doesn't know what to do with it. They've been together for a few years, and exchanged more 'I-love-yous' than she can count, but this seems so much deeper than that. Maybe it's just being in a fancy restaurant or a foreign country, but there's something else in the air between them, like at any moment the table could vanish and they'd be drawn together by some unknown force.

"And I know we're still not sure what's going to happen with college and everything, but I wanted you to be sure that no matter what happens, whether we end up in the same dorm building or at different schools across the country, I'm with you one hundred percent." Lucas reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket, and removes a long velvet box.

Riley can barely keep her hand from shaking as she reaches out to take the box. It's not a ring (unless he got a long box for an elaborate fake out) but cheap jewelry doesn't come in a box like this. Whatever it is, its nicer than anything he's ever gotten her.

Inside the box, on a braided silver chain is a round, silver pendant. It's intricately engraved with three calligraphic initials–' _RMF_ ' and an ivy-like border. "Lucas…" She exhales shakily, removing it from the box. "It's beautiful."

"It's a love token." He says. "People used to take coins and smooth one side, then hand-engrave them with initials or pictures as gifts for their loved ones. My grandfather on my mom's side collects them. He helped me find this one. You see the initials there?" Lucas leans forward. "That's my promise to you."

She looks down again. ' _RMF'_. It's lovely and she knows she'll wear it every day, but exactly how it's a promise, she can't figure out.

"Riley. Matthews. Friar. This necklace is my promise that no matter what happens or where we go, you will always be the most important person in my life. There's not a future that I can think of for me that you're not a part of. And one day, when the timing is right, I'm gonna get you a ring and your initials are gonna match that necklace."

Riley cries a little. Always has such a nice ring to it. They kiss, and Lucas helps put the love token around her neck, and Riley floats on cloud nine for the rest of the trip.


	6. Lucas introduces Riley to his parents

Day Six: Lucas introduces Riley to his parents.

* * *

"So Riley, tell us more about yourself." Elizabeth Friar prompts, taking a seat across from the sofa where Riley is sitting next to Lucas. "What are your hobbies, your plans for the future? Lucas tells us so little about you."

Riley bites back the obvious response resting on the tip of her tongue. She and Lucas have been dating for two years, and they've known each other for four. Which is why she knows without question that the only reason Lucas hasn't told his parents much about her is because they haven't asked.

Despite the length of their relationship, Riley has never met the Friars before tonight. She's never even seen them in passing. They don't ever seem to come to Lucas' games. Whenever she goes over to his place, they're not home (or at least they don't ever appear to be). All she really knows is what Lucas has told her.

His dad, William, is from oil money in Texas while his mom his from _old_ money in New York. Pappy Joe is the black sheep of the family and neither parent much likes the fact that Lucas takes after him and doesn't care _who_ the people around him are or what they have as long as they're good people. They think he should be spending more time trying to learn more about the family businesses and how to manage their assets instead of carving out his own path.

Lucas swears that it's a good thing that they never wanted to meet her before tonight, and he would have happily continued keeping her away from them except he wants to join the Matthews family in Philadelphia for Thanksgiving and _suddenly_ the girl he's dating matters to them.

Riley's determined to make a perfect impression and make sure that they have no reason to say no. She gets her mom to help her pick the appropriate dress, reads a couple of articles online about dinner party etiquette, and swallows back her dislike for the adults that have made Lucas miserable on occasion.

She smiles sweetly across at the woman and speaks after taking a sip of her sparkling water. "Well, I was born and raised here in New York, although my parents are from Philadelphia. I work on the school paper, and I'm in the drama club, and I've spent the last two summers working as a counselor at my little brother's day camp, which has gotten me really interested in looking into early childhood education as a major. I'm still narrowing down my top choices for schools to apply to though." Lucas glances over at her and squeezes her hand, eyes twinkling.

"Education isn't exactly a well paying career-field." William says from where he's finishing pouring himself a drink.

"No, but that doesn't mean it won't be rewarding." Riley has the reply ready; she's known from the start that money would be one of the angles that they would try to play. She's confident that there is nothing the Friars could say that would throw her off. They probably still won't like her at the end of the night, but at least she won't give them a reason to say no.

"How…quaint."

"Has Lucas shared his… _plans_ with you?" William spits out the word as though it's something vile.

Riley reaches over and grabs Lucas' hand. "If you mean that he wants to study to be a veterinarian, then yes, he has."

"And what are your thoughts on that?"

That's not really a question she had expected. "What do you mean, my thoughts?"

"Don't you think it's foolish?" Elizabeth asks. She barely spares her son a glance while he shifts in his seat. "As a young woman, _you_ of course have a little bit of latitude in what you choose to pursue. But Lucas has to consider his future family and how he'll support them."

The implication that his future family would not be with her is glaringly obvious, but Riley's not going to be provoked that easily. What she will do is defend Lucas. "Actually, the average salary for a veterinarian in the New York City area is over $90,000 a year. Which doesn't seem all that foolish to me."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't to you."

The pre-dinner conversation continues in a similar fashion. Lucas' parents ask her a question that almost always seems to turn around to be a dig at Lucas, and she does her best to stay calm and deflect them. Lucas attempts to intervene a few times, but doesn't seem to get very far before his parents shut him down each time. By the time William dismisses himself to take a business call and Elizabeth leaves the room to check on the meal some forty minutes later, Riley thinks she understands a bit better why Lucas occasionally still has trouble dealing with his anger; she might be angry too if she had parents constantly belittling every one of her decisions.

"I am so, so, sorry." Lucas turns to her after they leave. "Are you OK?"

Riley dismisses his concern with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine. They seem more interested in making me stop liking you than anything else." She reaches over and rubs her hand on his shoulder. "Not happening, by the way."

"I know. I just wish I didn't have to put you through this just so we can have Thanksgiving together."

"One night is no big deal. It's like you said before. As long as I don't give in to their games they'll say yes."

It seems like a solid enough plan. Riley is pretty confident in her ability to ignore insults and stay calm, especially when she knows the people hurling the disrespectful comments aren't worth her respect. Except as the evening progresses, their comments towards Lucas get increasingly harsh and unsubtle. She does what she can to calmly counter them (Lucas gets quiet after a while and stays that way), but it doesn't seem to matter. William and Elizabeth continue to put him down, and Riley feels helpless while her boyfriend grips his glass tighter with every comment and at one point stops eating.

William notices it too, and when he comments that Lucas will never be able to handle the family name, let alone the family business, if he can't maintain his composure after a few comments about his character and shares a laugh with his wife, Riley's grip on her control snaps. She drops her fork down to her plate.

"OK, you know what? You are _horrible_ people. I knew coming here today that I was never going to meet your standards, because I don't share your background and I like to smile and be friendly and I think that being a good person is more important than having a big bank account. And I was prepared to take every stupid comment you made about me if it meant that we would be done jumping your little hurdles, but how _dare_ you say those things about your own son? Lucas is amazing. He's the most caring person on the planet; all he wants is for the people he cares about to be happy and to do a little good himself and how he could have possibly have grown up to be half the man he is with the two of you bullies as role models is beyond me.

"I'm not perfect. But at least I love Lucas for who he is and whoever he wants to be. And shame on you for not being willing to."

She stands and grabs Lucas' hand pulling him up while the elder Friars are still sitting dumbfounded. "Lucas is going to walk me home now. Thank you for inviting me into your home."

They leave the home together without getting a response from either William or Elizabeth. About a block away, Riley realizes exactly what she just did and freezes. "Oh my gosh. Lucas I am _so sorry_. I can't believe I lost my temper like that."

Lucas has been just as stunned, but he shakes out of it when she speaks. "Riley, you don't need to apologize for that."

"I just…I couldn't stand the way they were talking about you any longer. I can't believe you've been dealing with them every day and haven't said anything."

"I've had a long time to get used to them. And I have plenty of people in my life who more than make up for them." Lucas pulls her close and leans down to kiss the top of her head. "Like you."

Riley falls into the embrace. "I think I ruined your chances of coming to Philly with us."

"Yeah, probably. But we have a lot of Thanksgivings ahead of us."


	7. Rucas' Wedding

Day Seven: Rucas' Wedding.

* * *

 _Riley and Lucas invite you to share in a very special announcement_

 _Saturday June 11th, 2022_

 _Four O'clock in the Afternoon_

 _at Merchant's House Museum_

 _New York, New York_

 _Cocktails and Dinner to Follow_

"So does anyone know what this is about? Riley wouldn't even give me a hint." Topanga asks, looking around the small, but elegantly decorated, reception room. There's a small crowd of people gathered in cocktail attire—mostly the Matthews family but Maya, Zay, Farkle, and Smackle have also joined them, and she recognizes Lucas' grandfather as well so Topanga can reason that whatever it is, it's obviously important if Lucas brought his family up from Texas. She feels safe broaching the subject now while Riley and Lucas are on the far side of the room with Josh, attempting to set-up video chats with Eric in DC and Morgan in LA.

Farkle has a gentle arm around Isadora's waist. "Our best guess is an engagement announcement."

The noise that Cory makes is only slightly less than human. "No. No. They're too young."

"Need I remind you at what age you got engaged to _your_ wife?" Amy asks archly. Alan chuckles then coughs into his hand to smother his amusement.

"Topanga and I had been together for our entire lives when we got engaged." Cory protests. "They've barely been together five years."

"Five close and passionate years." Zay corrects with a grin. "Lucas made his move and they've been inseparable ever since."

Maya smirks. "Which is why _I_ haven't ruled out that this is the baby announcement." This time Cory full-on shrieks and the entire room turns to look at him. Maya reaches over to pat him patronizingly on the arm. "That was just a joke, Matthews."

"Oh thank God."

"It's funny because we all know Riley is fastidiously careful with her birth control regimen." When Smackle makes the comment Maya, Zay, and Pappy Joe all burst out into guffaws; Farkle smothers his giggles in his girlfriend's neck. Cory groans.

Topanga loops her arm through his. "It's OK, Sweetie. She's always gonna be your little girl. Even when she has one of her own someday."

If there's more to the conversation, Topanga doesn't get to hear it. Riley leaves Josh and Lucas to their technical work and approaches, asking for her and Maya to come and help with some final prep work for the party. She leads them to a small office, where the desk appears to have mostly been converted to a beauty station complete with a standing mirror and myriad hair and makeup items. A garment bag is hanging from the coat rack in one corner.

"What exactly can we do in here to help with the party?"

Riley squares herself in front of the two and smiles. "I need you to help me get ready."

Maya looks her friend up and down, taking in the polished hair (down with just the front strands pinned back away from her face) and her floral party dress. "You already look pretty ready to me, Riles."

"This is just what I wore to get here." Riley dismisses. She kicks her shoes off and shrinks down a couple of inches. "Normally I would just change by myself but I really want to share this with the two of you. Lucas and I didn't just invite everyone here to tell you something…"

* * *

Maya has a broad smile on her face when she returns to the reception room. Now that she knows Riley and Lucas' secret, it's kind of impossible _not_ to smile. There was definitely a moment of shock, but after Riley explained their reasoning it all made sense and seemed perfect for the couple. Now she can't wait for the rest of the room to find out. At the moment, according to Riley the only other two people in the know are Lucas himself, and Josh, who had helped orchestrate the entire affair.

She stops off where Mr. Matthews is chatting with Pappy Joe and his parents and sends him off to the office where Riley and her mother are still readying themselves as she had been instructed. When she's certain that he's good and confused and on his way, she walks over to Lucas.

"So…Huckleberry…Big day, huh?"

"The biggest." He grins back at her.

"You sure you're ready for this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything."

Maya doesn't expect anything less of Lucas and knows she doesn't have to give him any warnings about hurting her best friend; she never has. They chat quietly for a few more minutes and she gets recruited to hold one of the video chat phones while Josh holds the other (the theory being that since they already know the surprise, they won't screw up and move the phone out of the shot).

When Topanga comes back into the room, she's a little teary, but she flashes Lucas a thumbs up. He nods and claps his hands together, grabbing everyone's attention.

"OK, so thank you all for coming. Or for calling in if you couldn't make it. Hi Eric, hi Morgan." Lucas waves at each phone in turn. "Riley and I invited you all here because we have something big to share with you, and it's almost time for our big reveal. So if you all want to come with me out into the courtyard, we can get started."

The group starts to follow him outside, buzzing all the while about what any of this could be about. Zay asks if they're going to wait for Riley to make the big announcement while the elder Mr. Matthews wonders the same about his son. Lucas is quick to assure them that both will be present for everything important and because the party venue is small, they're outside in a stone-floored courtyard before anyone else can come up with specific questions.

It's a long and narrow space. There are several sculpted bushes and stone benches placed along the sides of the area. Each wall forming the boundaries is covered in crawling green vines.

Standing at the far end of the courtyard that Lucas is walking towards, is a familiar face who Amy is quick to identify and hurry up to. "Jonathan!" She wraps her arms around him in a fond embrace. "What are you doing here?"

The superintendent of Maya's old school district returns the hug. "Riley and Lucas asked me to help out with this little shindig. When they told me what they wanted to do, I couldn't say no."

* * *

"Mr. Turner, really?"

Riley can't stifle the giggle that forms when her dad murmurs the question in her ear. He'd taken the news of her and Lucas' plans remarkably well all things considered, especially after some well placed words from her mom, and he'd quickly agreed to his role. They were now standing together in the entrance to the courtyard, waiting for Lucas to break the news; he's currently getting everyone to take seats on the benches throughout the courtyard.

"We wanted someone who knows us. Uncle Jon was the obvious choice. He's been certified for a few years now. Now, shh. Lucas is starting."

Riley smooths her hands over the skirt of the cream colored gown her mom and Maya had helped her change into. Lucas briefly locks eyes with her over the top of the crowd and they share a smile.

"As I said before, Riley and I asked everyone here because we have something big to share with all of you." He begins when the others are seated. Riley and her dad briefly step to the side while a guitar player she knows from school slips into her place in the rear corner of the courtyard. "Riley and I have been together for five years now, and like most couples who have been together that long, we've had more than a few conversations about what our future is. A couple of months ago we were having one of those talks and we realized something. We realized that it's been a few years since either of us considered any sort of future that didn't include the other. We don't have any doubts about who we are or what we want from each other. We know that we belong together.

"And I know what you're all thinking. This is the part where Riley comes out and tells you about how I proposed and that this is our engagement party."

"Yeah, I called it." Farkle interjects.

Lucas counters him quickly, looking exceedingly pleased with himself. "Except I didn't. And it's not."

"What?"

Riley loops her arm through her dad's elbow.

"Riley and I decided that we're so sure about each other," Lucas continues, "that it would be waste of everyone's time, including ours, to do anything other than get married. We knew we couldn't elope, but we also didn't want to spend months or even years engaged and planning an elaborate ceremony and reception when all either of us want is to commit our lives to each other in front of the people closest to us."

"Oh my God…" Riley hears her grandmother gasp.

Lucas smiles, and gestures towards her. "So if all of you could turn your attention to the back of the courtyard there, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to mine and Riley's wedding."

Their friends and family spin to stare. The guitar starts to play. Riley manages a small wave with the hand not holding her small bouquet of paper flowers, and then she and her dad start the walk down the makeshift aisle.

She meets Lucas where he stands in front of Uncle Jon. "Hi." She grins through her happy tears.

He smiles back softly. "Hey."

Riley untangles from her dad and kisses his cheek before she hands her bouquet to him. "Thanks for getting me here, dad."

"All you ever have to do is ask."

She hugs him again, burying her face in his neck and squeezing tight. She knows it's not really goodbye—marrying Lucas doesn't replace her dad or take him away from her—but it feels like such a definitive end to the first part of her life. Riley can't just turn away without giving him a proper thank you. So she stays holding her dad, probably a little too long, until he speaks quietly in her ear. "It's OK that you're moving on. You have to let me go at some point, honey."

Riley wipes away some tears (ever thankful that Maya is practically a magician with makeup so nothing will smudge or streak) and turns back around to Lucas. He reaches out and takes her hand, guiding her to join him. They stay holding hands and give the nod to Uncle Jon, who begins his speech.

"When Riley and Lucas came to me and told me that they were going to get married, I can't say that I was surprised. I've known them for a long time, and can only think of two other couples who share as much love and dedication to each other as this pair do. Those two couples are also in this courtyard today, which is why I have every confidence that even though Riley and Lucas are young, they enter this commitment with a full understanding of marriage's joys and its complexities.

"A good marriage must be created. The little things _are_ the big things. Marriage is never being too old to hold hands, and remembering to say 'I love you at least once a day. It's not never going to bed angry, but never going to bed without a plan to deal with that anger. Marriage is standing together to face the world. It's having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It's a common search for the good and beautiful. It is not only marrying the right person—it is being the right partner.

"Riley and Lucas chose to write their own vows. And they were both so determined to let the other go first that eventually we just flipped a coin." Everyone laughs. "Riley won the toss, which means Lucas will be giving his vows first. Mr. Friar, if you will."

Lucas grabs Riley's other hand so he's holding both as they stare each at each other. She knows that everyone else's eyes are on them but all she can feel in the moment is him.

"Riley, from the moment I first met you on the subway, I knew two things; I knew you were someone incredibly special, and I knew you were going to be trouble for me. Because I could tell from the way you said hi that it would be way, _way_ too easy for me to fall for you and the moment I did, no one else would ever be able to measure up. And I was right.

"You've proven yourself over and over again as the most incredible person I know. You never once hesitated to invite me into your world. You accepted me with all my faults and never asked me to change. Even when we were going through our growing pains, I could count on you to be there for me in a way that no one else was.

"Not a day goes by where I'm not thankful that we were in the same subway car that day or that some…'guiding force' pushed you into my lap. But more importantly, not a day goes by where I don't thank every power on this earth that you were willing to take a chance on me. And the best promise I can make to you is that I will _never_ forget my gratitude.

"I love you, Riley. And for the rest of our lives, it will be my honor to show you that every day."

Riley can't resist leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on Lucas' lips. It's either that and breaking the protocol of the ceremony or she'll start crying again, and even if they are happy tears it's her wedding day; she doesn't want to keep crying on her wedding day. She hears a few laughs and watery giggles and is quite pleased to note that not only was it definitely the right call to give into the moment and kiss him, but that she's not the only feeling the emotional effect of his vows.

Uncle Jon's chuckle and grin reveal his amusement as well. "If you're ready, Riley." He prompts.

Even though she's not giving in to them, Riley still briefly frees one hand to thumb away tears once more before she starts. "I know it hasn't always been easy to be with me."

"What? Riley that's ridic–,"

"Shh." Riley presses a gentle finger to Lucas' lips to stop his protests. It had been a given that he wouldn't like the way she was starting, but it's important to the point she wants to make, so she knew to be ready. "Let me finish, please." She waits for Lucas to nod, even though he doesn't look pleased about it before she removes her hand and starts again.

"I know it hasn't always been easy to be with me. I'm insecure and a worrier. I see the best in everyone except for myself. There were times when I was so scared of losing you to someone else that I tried pushing you away first. But even when I was making things _so_ difficult, you stayed. Your faith in me…your faith in us gives me more strength and hope than you could ever imagine.

"It's always been easy to love you. You're so kind and gentle and caring that you make it easy. And your…unwavering dedication and confidence in me make it easier for me to love myself. If there's one thing I know I can be confident in, it's you. I know that you are always going to be my side from my happiest moments to my worst ones.

"I never feel safer or stronger than when you're holding my hand. You've told me, many times, that being my friend has made you a better person but I don't know if I've ever told you that being your friend has done the same for me. The Riley you met on the subway never would have had half of the adventures that we've had together. You've given me a fuller life, and I can't wait to explore the rest of it with you."

Another quick kiss is exchanged, this time with Lucas initiating. When she notices the tears glistening in his eyes, Riley reaches over to brush them away as he has done many times for her.

The moment resettles and Jon guides them through the exchanging of rings. Riley gets Lucas' from her mom, while Lucas has hers in his pocket; their hands tremble faintly as they put them on each other.

Then the big moment comes.

"Lucas, do you take Riley as your wife, to stand by through all of life's joys and sorrows, to learn and grow with, and to go forward with in life no matter what the future holds?"

Lucas nods, smiling at her in such a way that for a moment, Riley's back in middle school, feeling that rushing, 'oh-my-god he's looking at me, he thinks I'm cute!' moment. "I do."

"And Riley, do you–,"

"Yes." Once again she can't help herself.

Uncle Jon continues as though nothing happened. "Take Lucas as your husband, to–,"

"Absolutely."

"Stand by through all of life's joys and sorrows–,"

"Definitely."

"To learn and grow with–,"

"Without a doubt."

"And to go forward with in life no matter what the future holds?"

"Do English teachers no longer do the meaning of the word yes?"

"Riles." Lucas prompts quietly, snapping her back into the full moment. "I think the words he's looking for are 'I do.'"

The family surrounding them is grinning, and it occurs to her that she's let enthusiasm get in the way of doing the moment properly. Her cheeks flush a little, but she can't bring herself to care. "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may share your kiss."

Lucas drops her hands to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. Their lips meet as she gets her arms around his neck. Riley's last rational thought as she falls into the moment is that she's done it. She's married Lucas Friar.


End file.
